MPs' expenses claims to be revealed

Friday 4 January 2008 00:04 BST

Speaker Michael Martin is due to release details of expenses claimed by MPs, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, after the House of Commons authorities decided not to challenge a ruling under freedom of information laws.

The release will provide a breakdown of how much was spent under different allowance categories, such as stationery, IT equipment, travel for the MP and spouse and groceries.

But it will not include the full details, including receipts and invoices, being demanded under a separate information request relating to 14 MPs, which the Commons Commission is appealing against at the High Court on the grounds it breaches MPs' privacy.

The commission, which Mr Martin chairs, announced it would not mount an appeal against Information Commissioner Richard Thomas's decision in January to uphold a BBC request for information about six MPs' expenses claims in 2003/04, along with another request relating to a single MP.

Rather than making the information generally available, however, the Commons authorities will pass them only to the people who made the initial request. It is thought likely that details will become known shortly afterwards.

The seven MPs and former MPs involved include Mr Brown, his predecessor Tony Blair and former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, as well as the former leaders of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy.

Interest in MPs' expenses has been fuelled by a critical report into former Conservative MP Derek Conway's employment of his son at the taxpayer's expense.

Further embarrassment was caused by the publication of the so-called "John Lewis list" detailing amounts which MPs are allowed to claim for furnishing their taxpayer-funded second homes, based on the prices at the famous department store.